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The Bargain Nexus - Houdini (1998)
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List Price: $14.98
Our Price: $13.99
Your Save: $ 0.99 ( 7% )
Availability:
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
Starring: Johnathon Schaech, Stacy Edwards, Paul Sorvino, Rhea Perlman, David Warner
Directed By: Pen Densham
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9780780625914
Format: Closed-captioned
ISBN: 0780625919
Label: Turner Home Ent
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Turner Home Ent
Release Date: 2000-03-28
Running Time: 94
Studio: Turner Home Ent
Theatrical Release Date: 1998-12-06
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Nothing revealed.
Comment: This is a TV movie covering the career, life and afterlife of the illusionist Harry Houdini/Ehrich Weiss. It is a romanticized skeletal treatment, covering the basics of the man (raised in poverty, self taught magician, life long mother issues, medium debunker) without any real depth or showing anything new. It is a well done enough production, recreating some of Houdini's daring feats, and the acting is decent (and Johnathon Schaech certainly looks fit enough to pull off Houdini's escapes and high tolerance for pain) but ultimately it is a frame without a portrait, non revealing of the Ehrich behind the Harry.
Favorite Line: "I fell in love with Ehrich Weiss; I put up with Harry Houdini."
Customer Rating:
Summary: You See What You Expect to See...
Comment: Or so might say Houdini. This film was highly disappointing because rather than show the truth, the filmmakers slipped and fell and decided to serve up what they expect YOU, the viewer wanted to see. Not something I like to see in excess in a supposed biopic. (SPOILERS COMING, if you care). It starts out pretty promising; up until the halfway point or so, I was fairly impressed with the attention to detail of the material. I'm by no means a Houdini expert, but they were admirably throwing in things it would have been more convenient to overlook, or that were just unnecessarily detailed. But things go south about halfway, and how. Artificial friction between the various members of the Houdini family is added, no doubt to soap it up a bit. Loving brother and wife is just too boring. The scene where Houdini extracts a hidden flask from his wife's person and castigates his her for boozing it up is straight out of "Knot's Landing." Such important things as Houdini's friendship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are both mischaracterized and glossed over. This in the interest of having time available for a final seance scene evidently stolen from an old "Ellery Queen" script, where Houdini's brother exposes a fake medium trying to convince Houdini's wife he has returned. Then said scene of this "biography" concludes with Houdini's ghost returning and dancing with his wife! I guess the truth is too boring here too--Mrs Houdini stated after this seance in real life that Houdini could not come back to anyone and stopped trying. A sad effort, buying an extra star only because you may come away knowing some actual things about Houdini that you didn't before--but still will come away thinking he died after being rescued from the Chinese Water Torture trick with an ax. Despite what Tony Curtis says, not true. Hopefully, it will inspire you to read a book about the Great Houdini. Otherwise, you will embarrass yourself at the Society of American Magicians cocktail party.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Houdini, a wonderful movie to view and own.
Comment: Houdini, is a television based movie. I find that it has easily become my favorite movie. With the strange twists, it gives some insight as to what Houdini's life was like. Of course, the whole movie isn't based upon the truth, but that's something to expect from a TNT movie. Every good movie, be it based upon the truth or not, has at least a few plop twists. The movie begins with Houdini's early childhood, up to his death, and a little past for entertainment value. The love story - like moments in the movie are sure to make you smile. The comedic parts of the movie, will draw something from you. Finally, the reality of the movie, will give you somewhat of an insight to Houdini's daring escape illusions. The end of the movie, will most likely touch your hearts and perhaps even bring a tear to your eye, as it did for mine. Enjoy Houdini.
Customer Rating:
Summary: That's not how it happened!
Comment: Before I saw this film I saw as many documentries on Houdini as I could. They got the facts all wrong! That is NOT the way that those people were. That's not what happened that night, ten years after his death. Those hoping to learn anything of substance about the celebrated magician and illusionist will walk away disappointed, because writer-director Pen Densham's superfical and overly melodramatic biography turns Houdini into a shrill, unpleasant narcissist. This TNT original film has "TV movie" written all over it: The production values look cheap, and the most talented actors turn up in only brief supporting roles. We're still waiting for a definitive portrait.
Customer Rating:
Summary: "Houdini" makes you believe
Comment: The first time I saw this movie it touched my heart like few movies have. It makes you believe in the power of true love and how nothing is impossible as long as you believe.
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Editorial Reviews:
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The life and times of history's most famous escape artist and magician, Harry Houdini.
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